Juggling Life

The Other Optimist in the Family

Mr. Fix-it and I were working on his résumé and he looked up and smiled broadly.

Jenn: What?

MFI: I just realized that if the stress of not having a job causes me to drop dead from a heart attack the life insurance will take care of you!

A Very Bad Blogoversary

On Christmas day three years ago I decided, after several months of reading blogs, and in a lull in the day’s festivities, to start my own blog. The only thing I would change would be to wait a day to start it—who has a Christmas Day blogoversary?!

This short post is just to acknowledge what a wonderful thing blogging has been for me—the writing, the reading and most of all the relationships. I have been so blessed to meet several bloggers in real life and I am really looking forward to BlogHer being in my town this summer—I hope to meet many of you. I’m planning a shindig for sure!

Enjoy your Christmas (if that’s what you celebrate) and, if not, enjoy a relaxing Saturday.

Thanks for being a part of this adventure with me.

A Little Lift

I substitute in schools that have diverse populations. Most students come from ethnic backgrounds where virtually everyone has brown eyes and consequently are enthralled with blue eyes. I’ve had the following exchange with both boys and girls from 4th to 10th graders.

Student: Miss?

Mrs. Juggling: Yes?

Student (staring intently into my eyes): I really love your blue eyes.

Mrs. Juggling: Thank you. I like your brown eyes.

Wisdom for the Ages

MVP and I were working in the kitchen the day before Thanksgiving. We were chatting about this and that and he was filling me in on some of the things he is learning in college.

MVP: You know, school can be a hassle, but it sure is nice to be educated.

I’m thinking his tuition is money well-spent.

Expectations

Social Butterfly and I are driving in the car; she’s telling me about a new couple at school.

SB: I don’t know if I’d really like having a boyfriend at the same school as me.

Me: Why not?

SB: It seems like everyone expects you to spend all your time together. I think it’s better if you can do your thing and he does his and you just see each other some of the time.

Me: You are going to make some guy very happy with that attitude.

What I Want to Hear?

Social Butterfly and I were having dinner at Rubios together Wednesday night. We were discussing that a few of her friends (not the closest ones) have recently gotten into minor scrapes—of the usual sort that 15 & 16-year old girls sometimes do.

Me: So, I have to ask . . . are you as good as you seem or are you just not getting caught?

SB (with a Mona Lisa smile): What can I say? I’m just not as wild as some of my friends.

Me (inside my head): I hope that’s the truth!

Regression

I was at Six Flags Magic Mountain with three of my kids (and seven other teens). I consider myself a rollercoaster person, but it’s been many years since I’ve been to this particular theme park—renowned for having the gnarliest roller coasters around.

I’d just ridden Ninja—labeled a moderate rollercoaster—and was looking at a map that described that ride as for the “Thrill-Seeker in Training.”

Me to MVP: Back in the day I was a Thrill-Seeker, but it seems I’ve evolved into a “Thrill-Seeker in Training.”

MVP: Wouldn’t it be that you’ve regressed from into a Thrill-Seeker in Training?

Me: I guess it would.

Don’t you just love it when your kids take a lifetime of being on the end of your precision in word choice and turn it on you?!

I Think He’ll Fit RIGHT In!

We picked Pedro up at the airport and were in the car for about 5 minutes when he got a sly glint in his eye and asked Danger Boy a question.

Pedro: So your American high school is like High School Musical? You sing and you dance?!

What Have You Done for Me Lately?!

I was getting ready for bed—brushing my teeth and the like—and Social Butterfly was flitting about as she asked/harangued me for something—when she already knew the answer was, “No!”

Social Butterfly: When was the last time I asked you for anything?

I raised an eyebrow.

Social Butterfly (throwing her head back and laughing): Okay, you’re right—that was pretty funny.

I’ve Got Something in my Pocket, It Belongs Upon my Face . . .

I was a Girl Scout for close to half my life. Social Butterfly was a Girl Scout for 8 years. So what was our response to the news that the truck Mr. Fix-it was driving had a broken axle and tie rod from the collision?

We looked at each other, smiled and burst into song:

You can’t ride in my Little Red Wagon!

Front seat’s broken and the axle’s draggin’!

It must be a regional thing though—we always sang “chugga, chugga, chugga chugga choo-choo” while the videos I found mostly do an “Oompah” thing.

What camp song will you never forget?